Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The NBA trade deadline is over at 3:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. MT / 12:00 p.m. PT) on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.
With just hours until the NBA trade deadline is over, a trade frenzy is expected right up until the clock hits 3:00 p.m. ET. Teams can’t make new trades until the offseason (outside of very rare technicalities).
One important wrinkle: you may still see deals reported right at 3:00 (or even a few minutes after) because news breaks in real time while calls, paperwork, and league processing catch up. But the official cutoff is still 3:00 p.m. ET.
What time is the NBA trade deadline 2026?
Same answer, just phrased the way Google users are asking it: “what time is the NBA trade deadline 2026” = 3:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.
That time matters because it’s when the league’s rumor mill turns into a hard stop, teams either get the deal done, or they’re holding their roster into the stretch run.
Why “Shams” is spiking during deadline week
It’s not an accident that Shams Charania becomes the defacto source people look to during the biggest trade moments. During deadline day, fans are basically searching for the fastest possible confirmation.
Shams Charania (and other top NBA breakers) often deliver the first alert on:
surprise All-Star movement
three-team/complex trades
“buzzer” deals that hit right before 3 p.m. ET
Looking for updates from Shams is a surefire way to find the latest news, it usually means fans are refreshing for real-time deadline update, especially when one massive name could swing the entire day.
Giannis trade rumors
The biggest story of course is a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. People are really looking for a potential blockbuster involving Milwaukee’s franchise star.
As of deadline morning, major outlets were still framing Giannis Antetokounmpo as the headline-level domino everyone is watching, with teams monitoring the situation and fans waiting to see if Milwaukee makes a dramatic move or stands pat.
Even if nothing happens by 3 p.m. ET, this is the kind of storyline that doesn’t die—it just shifts into post-deadline fallout: what the Bucks did (or didn’t) do, what it means for the summer, and which teams “missed” on their biggest swing.
Biggest NBA trade deadline moves today so far
The headline move on the board: the Dallas Mavericks trading Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards in a massive multi-player package. Dallas’ reported return includes Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham and Marvin Bagley III, plus two first-round picks and three second-rounders, while Washington also takes back D’Angelo Russell, Dante Exum and Jaden Hardy.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers landed James Harden in a blockbuster with the LA Clippers, sending Darius Garland the other way (plus a future second-round pick).
On the Warriors front, Golden State made a notable swing by sending Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis, per ESPN’s trade tracker.
There’s also been plenty of “deadline math” deals: Orlando shipped Tyus Jones to Charlotte (with second-round picks attached) in a move tied to luxury-tax flexibility, while the Knicks and Bulls swapped Guerschon Yabusele and Dalen Terry